American Girl store opening in Tysons

Yes, it was the delighted squeals of pre-teen girls around the D.C. region, who have just learned that American Girl is opening a store in Tyson's Corner Center next summer.

The brand, which enjoys a cult-like following among its young fans, features dolls from various periods of history that come with elaborate back stories that span books, magazines and, of course, a wardrobe of clothes and accessories. Millions of girls have made pilgrimages to the flagship American Girl stores in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles that have become known for their over-the-top fantasy experience.

The store in Tysons will include a 110-seat "bistro" for meals and birthday parties along with a hair salon for dolls. The Creativi-Tees boutique will allow girls to create their own doll-size T-shirt. At about 23,000 square feet, the store will be about half the size of the flagship locations and will be the 10th store in the country.

Wade Opland, American Girl vice president of retail, said the company determined there was strong demand in the Washington area through its catalogue and Internet sales. Opland said he expects the store will become a destination for the region, drawing about 1 million customers annually, and does not plan to open another one in this market.